


Separate Worlds

by potatoesarenotforsex



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF, youtube - Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Aliens, Alternate Universe, Cannibalism, Fluff, Gen, M/M, Medical, Medical Conditions, Science Fiction, Terminal Illnesses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2015-04-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 00:15:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2601545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potatoesarenotforsex/pseuds/potatoesarenotforsex
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The probability of separate worlds meeting is very small. The lure of it is immense. We send star ships. We fall in love.<br/>Dan is a dying astronaut who meets Phil, an alien.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isthisjustphantasy (parttimestoryteller)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/parttimestoryteller/gifts).



> There is no way I can possible give enough thanks to Sam (moreorlester) and Iona (isthisjustphantasy) for their incredible work on this story.

Dan can feel the adrenaline surging through his veins a moment before his eyes snap open. His head is hazy but any prior thoughts or dreams fade away, leaving only remnant wisps of impressions swiftly escaping his grasp, and he opens his eyes. A soft, blue light, ebbs in front of him, reflecting off the glass window in front of him. Blinking several times, his mind flickers into a semblance of logical thought and he remembers the single direction that was hammered into him some long time ago. 

 _Squeeze your hands._  

He does, and with a low hiss, the glass lifts upwards and then moves to the side, the dark interior of a stasis room revealing itself to Dan, complete with three empty pods and the one he is currently inhabiting. The cuffs unlock and slide off his waist, legs and forearms, allowing for him to half-fall, half-step out of the pod and onto the steel grill floor. His muscles have already been massaged and reconditioned for the past five weeks, in anticipation of his waking date. He flexes his arms a few times, the artificial exercise almost good enough to simulate real fitness, but the weariness of immobility aches somewhere deep in his bones. Dan chuckles a little to himself as he recalls the first time he came home from the space station and could barely walk, having spent the past few months absorbed in his work and neglecting to exercise as was recommended.

With a crick of his neck, he sets off, his fingerprint coding to open the door setting of the lighting, and soon the ship is humming with energy. By the time he arrives at the flight deck, Dan’s body feels almost back to normal and no worse for wear, and his mind is making a sound attempt to do the same. Stasis is always harder on the mind than the body; years of unconscious thought will muddle you up a little. Fortunately, his operational memory is barely affected, and he easily slides into the captains seat and switches the ship off autopilot, flight simulations and text books learnt long ago readily supplying the correct information for checking velocity, fuel and distance to destination. 

He’s closer than expected, only a few minutes and he’ll be pulling into the planet’s orbit - their calculations were always estimations at best, and he should be grateful that he was woken properly. Emerging from stasis and dealing with a crash landing is hardly the best way to start your day. Dan straightens in the chair, properly strapping his belt and steadies the thrusters, levelling out the ship masterfully and entering smoothly. 

With no ground stations to signal to, or to reference landing from, Dan is left with no choice but to make a blind landing. It’s hardly impossible, but less than ideal in terms of safety, for him and anyone below. A quick scan identifies a fairly large body of water that seems suitable and nodding confidently to the empty flight deck, Dan locks in their trajectory,

Checking that he still has enough fuel, he disengages the cargo doors, fires up the RCS thrusters and angles the ship to fall tail first, gravity and drag taking hold. Once he’s satisfied with the angle, Dan switches on the OMS engines, shuddering in his seat as the ship slows down a little. So far, everything is going perfectly to plan. It’s the best ship of its class and he is a brilliant pilot, but every step of this mission is so far beyond human space travel that Dan almost feels their success as yet must be the result of sheer luck, as opposed to scientific ingenuity.

This part is the most serene, falling through the sky of a brand new planet. He has little control and he’s too far from the surface to consider gliding yet, so he waits and watches, focusing on regulating his breathing that somehow became erratic within the past few minutes. This must be what the first astronauts felt like, Dan reasons, so far from anything familiar or safe. Just him and his ship, alone on the edge of a brand new world.   

He smirks to himself - they weren’t actually alone, there was always the crew and their ground control team at the very least. This was, in that respect, completely new. This ship was never made to be manned by a single person, but there was hardly anyone else who was volunteering to join him, and he’d have never accepted the mission with a crew forced into participation by the academy. But, looking over his shoulder, it’s hard not to wish for another soul to be sitting in any of the chairs around him, another pair of eyes to share in the incredible sights, another heart to quicken as the unknown approaches. 

Then, from nowhere, his left hand twitches, fingers spasming from their grip on the handle, and the ship jolts slightly - not enough to angle out of the fall but enough to slightly alter his path, as he fumbles to pull the nose back to a straight fall. Biting his lip, Dan reaches into the small pocket on his sleeve, pulling out a small tube of orange pills and, stabilising the navigation with one hand and deftly unscrewing the top of the container with the other, he swallows two pills, before shoving the tube back in his pocket.

He knew there had to be something he’d forgotten.

Who wouldn’t? 

Frustrated by his forgetfulness, the kind of mistake that could be fatal, Dan quickly checks the external surface status. It's higher than ideal, but still below hyperthermic. He knows all too well how delicate the maneuvers are, but it seems the slight alteration has left him no worse for the wear, luckily.  He eyes his left hand, now innocently still. It had started in his hands back on earth, for so long put down as stress or exhaustion. If only he could have woken to forget the whole affair, the diagnosis, everything that followed. 

Before long, the blue skies disappear and thick clouds engulf the ship, blocking all views and rendering the screens useless, displaying only endless, blinding whiteness. It’s impossible to tell how long the cloud will last, there’s no sight of anything below. He free falls, squinting into nothingness and receiving nothing in return. The clouds pass for moments, sweeping by in loose burrs and there’s nothing he can do. It’s eerie, but peaceful, and of course it cannot last.

Colours burst into his visual field vibrantly - greens and yellows and brown; but not blue. _Shit_.

The change in pressures hits his hull and a loud crack resonates throughout the ship, but Dan doesn’t pause to think about the damage to the metalwork; this was only never intended to be a return trip. All pressures seem to be directed to flipping him over - the entire console and his chair are shuddering with the force, but he fights (does his best) to keep his hands steady, pulling up the nose an iota higher, eyes trained on the screen.

The ocean is winking on his left side, too far off now to try landing there, so the greenery of the forest will have to do. Dan just hopes that there’s nothing living amongst the trees. Normally he’d not go near a habitable field without running preliminary thermal imaging or trying for a gamma-screen, but with less than 600 meters between him and the surface, there’s barely enough time for him to flick out the parachutes and brake the orbiter before he’s lost in a flurry of leaves, branches splintering around his ship as it etches a jagged path into the forest. 

The lights go out but Dan keeps a firm grip on the navigators. He’s driving blind, screwing his eyes shut and tensing his body, ready to absorb the shock of impact- but it never comes. A few moments later the orbiter shuts off and the ship comes to an unsteady stop, swaying slightly in the precarious embrace of large branches. Despite the unconventional runway, the ship has landed safely. A light flashes on, blinking in the dark to remind Dan to stay seated while the engines cool off, and he sits back, finally releasing the controls.

His fingers are tingling, but this time he knows the sensation well: anticipation. The probability of making it this far was always slim; he’d avoided building up hope for such a long time that it had been easy to assume he’d never greet this planet alive. The adrenaline is fading, but he can barely stand to stay the 20 minutes on board until it’s safe to disembark. He doesn’t want to waste a moment. There’s new air to breath, new grass to feel beneath his feet, new water to taste and feel run between his fingers- 

 _We’d prefer for you to remain here, and be as comfortable as possible._  

That’s what the doctors had said, as if comfort was reassuring or a substitute for years of his life that could have been. A sterile room, with restrictions in place, (mostly to protect visitors), a glorious supply of morphine and as much sympathy and pastel ‘get well’ cards as irony could provide. It was assumed that time well spent was time with family and friends, pain free and earning as many minutes as possible alive. But what they didn’t seem to understand was that none of those minutes would mean anything if they were spent lying in a bed, wasting away. They’d tried to stop him, many times, but he was still physically and mentally able to fly, with medications ready to combat any symptoms as they arose and determination far stronger than any scrawled signature on a medical certificate.

The red light is still flashing in the corner of his vision, teasing him with its consistency, and it's too hard to remain seated any longer. Dan springs to his feet and starts pacing, back and forth, running his hand along the top of his seat with each length of the deck. Despite having no recollections of his immobilisation, it feels so good to move; muscle and bone and motion all at his command. This, at least, he has some control over. Pacing is calming and it wears away the minutes until the engines are cool enough to disembark without poisoning his lungs.

When the countdown flashes at two minutes to go, Dan unfastens a day pack from under the desk and makes his way to the cargo deck, his footsteps echoing into the empty hall, green light filtering in through the small windows that line the path. Nervous energy ripples in each step, building his strength far more than any stasis machine ever could. The door is still sealed shut when he arrives, and the last few moments of waiting pass with paced breathing and closed eyes, until the shrill siren sounds into the silence and the door slides open with a heavy groan. A strong breeze brings a flurry of spade-like leaves flying through the air, skimming past his face and carrying them up into the 

Without a moments hesitation, Dan jumps forward and out of the ship, his feet landing softly on the mossy earth of this strange new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Next chapter will be posted soon!)


	2. Chapter 2

After a quick inspection of the area, Dan is confident that the ship is relatively intact, aside from a few damaged panels and foliage littered in its wake. He is also relieved to discover that no one appears to have been harmed his crash landing. Destruction  _and_ death would potentially not be the best way to grace his entry to a new planet, if he was hoping for a peaceful and constructive trip. He turns instead to the landscape that greets him- green, leafy and dense. It’s as good as he could have hoped for and he heads off, walking directly away from the ship in no particular direction, just forward. It only takes a few minutes of walking for any sign of his vessel to disappear entirely into the foliage, trees filling his line of sight in every direction.

To his surprise it’s not dissimilar to earth in many regards. Had he not been acutely aware of how he got here, Dan could easily be convinced he was somewhere in the northern woods of Hungary, or perhaps New Zealand- with some new variations of colours and shapes. With every step, he admires the greenery around him, constant and undisturbed by buildings or roads or mines, all of which completely dominated his own home. However, as he continues on, the one striking difference Dan notices is how  _quiet_  it is. There’s no bird song, or even insects, that he can hear. Perhaps they have adapted be more quiet, or he is poorly adapted to catch their sounds, either way it makes for an eerie journey, with only the rustle of the leaves and his crunching footsteps breaking the silence.

Dan’s mind drifts as he walks, lost in thought, wondering if perhaps this is an uninhabited planet after all and he is the first person to see this- but that is, of course, ridiculous. He’s done thorough studies of alien biology and he knows better than that. This kind of ecosystem would be thriving with life, he is just unable to hear or see it yet. Stepping over a large fallen branch, he suddenly stops, realising that his pondering has distracted him.

It takes him a moment or so to focus properly, listening through the rustle of leaves, but then Dan hears it- a deep, throbbing sound lying beneath the wind. He can just pick it out, and starts off again in the direction it seems to be coming from, and surely as he covers meter after meter, the drumming becomes more distinct. Dan’s never been the most musical of people, but drums mean intelligent beings skilled enough to create the noise to signal or celebrate or whatever the noise is being used for; drums mean civilisation- alien life.

With no other cue for his path, Dan continues to follow the sound. The slow and steady beat is an easy guide for his footsteps, and he passes through the forest with ease. Quite suddenly, the forest becomes so thick, almost a wall of leaves and barks, that Dan has to bend branches and squeeze between trunks to find his way through. It’s almost as if its been purpose grown as a protective wall, because he only has to force through the leaves for about five meters, but then he steps out into a lush area far more beautiful than any of the land he’s seen so far. Instead of endless, dense trees, the area is littered with a few magnificent trunks, with low shrubbery and ferns in between, light falling easily between the large branches up above. Within ten paces there is a small, fast-flowing river, narrow enough for him to step over easily, curving its way between the greenery. Dan’s tempted to follow its path, but the drumming is close enough now that he feels he should be able to see it’s owner any moment and so he travels on.

After a short while longer, he notices that there is a central cluster of trees a little taller than the rest, where the drumming is emanating from. Reaching the outer branches, he peers through; pulling aside leaves and twigs slowly. Before he can see anything properly, there are heavy footsteps crunching towards him, and Dan backs away, crouching down in the bushes.

A muscular humanoid figure, female, as far as Dan can tell, with long curls tumbling down her back marches out from the trees. She pauses, shoulders tensing, turning her head to either side as if she can sense that Dan is there. Over her arms and legs are what look like tattoos or body paint, covering every inch of skin not hidden by furs, a strong profile glares into the trees. Far taller than any human, she holds a long knife carved from bone (or something similar) in one hand with ease, long fingers curled around an intricate handle. Dan holds his breath, praying that his muscles will be obedient this once and not give away his position.

His heart pounding, Dan waits patiently, morbidly fascinated and terrified by what might happen next. She isn’t moving, and neither is Dan, so the impasse remains for what seems an age. Eventually, prompted by something Dan cannot perceive, the creature moves on, striding away with powerful legs, leaving Dan catching his breath as quietly as he can, a thousand times more curious about this planet than he was before.

Standing up, he makes his way forward through the trees where the alien emerged. As the sounds and smells grow stronger, Dan pulls a stunner from his pack as silently as possible. He edges his way forward, concealing himself behind one of the wider trunks and peeking around the bark, until he can just make out the sight before him.

It’s a large gathering; with alien creatures similar to the one he’d seen just before gathered together. Some are sitting and some standing in small clusters, silently watching on as some form of ceremonial cooking is occurring on the big fire built in the centre of the clearing. It’s almost evocative of primitive human cultures, hunting and gathering as the central aspect of their lives, and the counterpoint to communal gathering. Their tools and weapons that he can see certainly seem to be simplistic and naturally derived. Dan feels a little more assured that the smooth silver stunner in his hand might be some protection, should he need it.

His eyes follow the gaze of several of those closest to the fire, their pointed teeth peeking out behind moist lips, clearly in anticipation of the coming meal. The spit itself is cleverly constructed to facilitate turning and checking the meat, with two of them attending carefully to the carcass. Dan frowns a little, watching it turn over and over again in the heat. It’s certainly not a familiar cow or goat, or even something closely resembling earth meats. It’s far less bulky, stretched out along the long pole and- oh.

He takes an unintentional step back, one hand flying to his mouth to mute the gagging sound. It’s a body.

Long and muscular enough to be one of these humanoid figures before him, it only takes seconds for the comparison to be made with the one turning the spit, and the resemblance is obvious.

Dan steps back slowly, cautiously, grateful that most of the attention is directed at either the chief of the meat, not sure where to go from here but definitely wanting to be far away from the cannibalistic warrior aliens. Taking deep, steady breaths, he takes another step back.

There’s no impact, but a sudden sensation of warm air spreads across the back of his neck. In the silence between his heartbeat and the drums, Dan shudders a little as he hears the sound of deep breathing, directly behind him.

Spinning on the spot, he finds himself face to face with one of the aliens. He’s a mess of muscle and messy black hair, towering over Dan, decorated with tattoos like the others. His lips spread open to reveal shiny, pointed teeth and he says something unintelligible, cat-like eyes widening with surprise or curiosity, Dan cannot be certain.

A pang of discomfort tightening in his chest, he raises the stunner to point at the alien’s chest. He so very much doesn’t want to hurt this creature, but he cannot afford to be captured, not by cannibals, not when he’s only just arrived and has no sense of how best to deal with the situations. He can barely convince himself it’s the best course of action, but adrenaline kicks in and his finger squeezes on the trigger.

A burst of energy erupts from the weapon, hitting the alien in the centre of his chest, and Dan stumbles back a little from the shock of the blast, but steadies himself quickly, breathing steadily. His mouth falls open when he realised that his actions have had absolutely no effect- aside from inciting a curious expression from the creature, who is rubbing the spot on his chest where the stunner hit, large fingers rubbing over the tattooed skin, inquisitive but hardly damaged.

His weapon is seemingly useless and there’s no other immediate means of defending himself- so Dan just runs.

There’s no way he can physically match the alien, but he’s going to try nonetheless. Perhaps, he thinks, sprinting through the trees, he will lose interest and Dan can get away and-

Of course it’s his legs this time. He can never know which muscle it will be, maybe just and eyebrow or a little finger, but this of all times it’s his left hip extensors, and they dissolve into a tangle of spasms, and Dan tumbles down onto the grass a moment later, his legs folding beneath him as he goes. The stunner falling aside, he closes his eyes against the trembling of his leg, making fists and trying to stay as still as possible.

When it finally dies down, resolving for now, he opens his eyes and the alien is bending over him.  He’s saying more words that Dan can’t understand, his brow furrowed in concern. He doesn’t look like he wants to hurt Dan, but Dan still would prefer not to be lying there defenceless, and so makes an attempt to get to his feet again, his head spinning as he props both hands behind his shoulders, ready to lift up.

Which is precisely when a large, wooden club collides with Dan’s head and then, nothing.


	3. Chapter 3

When Dan wakes up, he's lying on an uncomfortable, wooden floor. The air is abuzz with noise and cluttered sounds, the warm smell of life filling his nostrils; stuffy and overpowering. Stirring from his confusion, Dan's eyes flying open as he takes several deep breaths, confused at the sudden abundance of sound. It takes him a moment to remember that he was being chased, his eyes focusing on the long branches making up a roof and his ears adjusting to the din. Taking a moment, he steadies himself. This was what he'd prepared for, this is why he'd journey across half a solar system- now was no time to suddenly slow down.

His muscles still slightly non-compliant, Dan pushes up against the ground and struggles until he is finally leaning back against a wall. He pauses for a break, looking around the small shack he's in. It's filled with a fantastic variety of animals, winged and scaled and furry, all milling about and interacting with one another. It's chaos, but there is no destruction or mayhem. If Dan didn't know better, he'd say it was almost like a private zoo, where all the animals are calm and clearly sufficiently looked after.

Dan spies his backpack in a corner near the door. He heads there first, stepping over a small, rounded creature scurrying across the floor on a myriad of legs, beak emerging from beneath layers of fluffy feathers, chasing what looks similar to a lizard crossed with a small possum, with four strong legs sending it bounding away from it's pursuer. Shaking his head, Dan hurriedly zips open his backpack, finding his medication and swallowing two pills with well-practised ease.

Immediately, the cramps slowly ebb away, as does the gnawing headache and nausea. Dan breathes out a sigh of relief, throwing the pills back in his bag and swiftly checking the contents to ensure that everything else is still there.

No one had been entirely happy about his plan to just take the medication during stasis, as there was no known research about the long-term effects they might have and how it would interfere with the serums used to maintain unconsciousness. So instead they had done a trial- on him. A medically induced coma with cryogenic stasis, for three weeks. A considerable bite into his remaining time if it had failed, but without it there was a chance he'd never make it all this way. To his delight, and the neurologists surprise, there was no disease progression while he was under, and so he was allowed to medicate on waking- but perhaps they had not discovered everything.

He shouldn't be symptomatic again so soon after taking his medication. Whether it's a difference in the makeup of this planet, or the stress of the journey, Dan's certain that he's in a worse state than he was when he left. But with no way of checking his disease progression, or treating any new changes, other than increasing his dosage, Dan sees no point in worrying about things beyond his control.

With that out of the way, he next tries the door, and is surprised to find that it's not locked. On closer inspection, Dan realises it doesn't even have a proper door handle or knob, just a large slab of wood inside a frame, but somehow none of the animals seem to be intent on leaving. Pulling his backpack over one shoulder, he presses against the wooden door- but it doesn't budge. With a frown, he tries again, throwing all his weight behind the push, but still nothing.

Not to be taken for a weaker man, Dan tosses his backpack to the ground again, nearly hitting one of the animals that had taken up position next to his ankle, fascinated by the fabric of his waterproof trousers. Using both arms he heaves against the door, which doesn't budge an inch. A few attempts later and the sweat is beading across his forehead. Dan isn't the biggest of men, but he's fit and agile, accomplished in his physical training, and it's belittling to be bested by a simple door. He takes a couple of steps back, avoiding the scaled creature now trying to curl around his shoe and starts for the door at a run, shoulder ready to impact with the wood when the door in question suddenly flies open.

Colliding with a rather warm and solid torso takes the wind right out of Dan, and he stumbles back, managing not to fall over entirely and rubbing his arm gingerly. He can now see that the creature from before is standing in the doorway- apparently opening it was not so much of a challenge for his muscled form.

Dan's heart is racing as he raises his hands up, hoping that there is some continuity between peaceful surrender here and back on Earth, but rather than approaching him, the figure pulls the wooden slab shut and walks over to the corner of the room, stepping over animals as he walks. They gather in the wake of his footsteps, and only now does Dan realise these really are pets, domesticated and welcoming home their owner. They are greeted affectionately, a small pat of a hand there, a scratch over here, until the creature reaches the corner and pulls a large green object off one of the logs.

To Dan's surprise, the object is a huge leaf, curled up tightly and tied with a ropey vine. Opening up the package, the creature scatters the contents across the floor, and his pets flurry to feed. Their master watches on affectionately, and Dan finds that his fear is ebbing away to make room for pleasant intrigue for similarities existing across entire star systems.

Then, however, the attention is turned to him, and a handful of the food is gathered up and brought over to him in long, steady strides. Holding out what appears to be a mixture of leaves and nuts, the creature makes a noise as if to encourage Dan. He blinks, cat-like pupils eerily filling his bright blue eyes, waiting for a response. Shaking his head, Dan replies.

"No thanks." It takes several times before the nuts are finally withdrawn. Confused, the creature heads back across the room. Watching as he walks, Dan can see how similar their bodies are - despite the creature being taller, broader, and far more muscled than he is. Long dark hair tumbles down his back, select parts gathered in beads. Across his bare chest and back there are several tattoos, not of any specific picture, but curves and spikes that echo the muscles lying beneath the skin.

He returns, this time brandishing a handful of orange berries, clearly hoping that a different variety of food might entice Dan. The genuine good will of his actions is evident, and Dan can't help but smile. He receives a wide smile in return; small, pointed teeth sliding out as his lips part in imitation of Dan.

The berries are placed down at Dan's feet, with another generous smile, before the creature turns back to his other pets, apparently losing interest somewhat in Dan's reluctance, turning to one his animals with long fur and attentively running his fingers through the mangled knots.

Taking advantage of this, Dan slowly and steadily crosses the room once more, fetching his backpack and zipping it open. He rummages through the contents, before pulling out several earpieces and a control pad. There's more complex equipment back on the ship, but he's got enough to get started with. Fiddling with the programming slightly to account for probable anatomy, Dan walks over to his new friend, making sure his steps are steady and, hopefully, unthreatening. There's no question of who would win a fight between them.

Bringing himself into a direct line of vision, Dan holds out the control pad and, feeling a little foolish, speaks aloud-

"Could you tell me a bit about your favourite food?"

As expected, after a pause, he gets a reply. The language is far more tonal and guttural than English, entirely unlike anything Dan's heard on earth or any other planet he's been to so far. When his voice peeters out, Dan asks another question and then another one, and replies follow, albeit accompanied by a somewhat confused expression.

Finally the machine beeps happily, enough data provided for it to extrapolate successfully. Shoving an earpiece into each ear, he can suddenly hear the cheery voice, filtered into familiar words-

"-would have hoped, I'm sorry but I really have no idea what you are saying. Do you want meat? I don't have any, I really try to avoid all that."

Dan punches the air, enjoying a moment of victory.

"Are you okay?" His voice is concerned, curious, and Dan doesn't bother to reply, instead sets about programming the second set of earpieces to the reverse function. Demonstrating through appalling mime what to do with them, Dan eventually coaxes his new friend to insert the earpieces.

"Hello, my name is Dan." He blurts out excitedly. The expression of shock on the alien's face is priceless, but both parties share the grin of glee that follows.

"Hello Dan! This is fantastic! What a clever thing! I can understand you and you can understand me?" Dan nods, but there is barely a pause to interrupt, "Great! I am Phil, this is my place, but you are very welcome to stay here. Did you want to try some of the berries? They will not make you ill, they are in fact very delicious!"

"Thank you," Dan reaches down and grabs one of the berries, which are very tasty, more sweet than a blueberry but a similar texture. He pauses, chewing on the juicy fruit, and asks, "So you don't, er, eat the same thing as the other people in your tribe?" He is hesitant to ask, in case this is merely a formality and something meaty was next on the menu.

Phil pales, "It might be my tribe's tradition, but I don't think it's right, or fair." He looks very disturbed and Dan breathes a small sigh of relief. "It's happened for so long now that I don't think anyone thinks it is wrong, but I prefer to take the berries and nuts, the ones that fall on the ground. That way no one gets hurt, and they are very delicious! Also I have found that the eggs from the Talforn," He indicates to a small, blue, scaly creature, "Are quite delicious mixed with fruit!"

His naivety and aversion to violence is absolutely endearing and Dan smiles widely, about to reply, when suddenly a stab of pain shoots down his left leg. He gives a short cry as it crumples beneath him, almost falling ungracefully to the floor. Before he can hit the ground, strong arms wrap around his shoulders and lower back, catching him effortlessly.

Dan does his best to talk, trying to explain what's happening, but the fits are worse than ever for some reason, and they take control of his limbs and brain, tensing and seizing erratically for several minutes, while Phil watches in confusion and horror, calling his name repeatedly.

As the haze clears a little and Dan can regain control of his mouth, he whispers as best he can, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." But Phil shakes his head, lifting Dan up to his feet again and replying-

"I had no idea that the spirits had come back."

Dan shakes his head, still slightly out of it. "The spirits?"

"I have seen their magic before." Phil is grave and concerned, "They came when I was just a child and had control over many members of the tribe."

With a chuckle, Dan replies, "I don't know what their magic was, but I have a variant prion disease, I- I don't know how to explain it, but my mind and body are slowly… not working." He cringes at his own choice of words. With a gesture to his bag, he continues, "I have medication that slows the process and takes away the effects of the disease, like the funny sensations and the brain problems, but it's just a matter of time really…" He trails off, this most recent event confirming his suspicion that the medication doesn't appear to be functioning sufficiently anymore.

Phil has either not understood his explanation, or simply doesn't care. "Come with me," he insists, "I know someone who can help you." He heads to the doorway, waiting for Dan to join him outside before waving to his pets charmingly and pulling the boulder back across the doorway. From the outside, Dan can see the structure of the hut, built cleverly into the shrubbery so that it is almost disguised amongst the bark and leaves.

Following the direction of Dan's gaze, Phil gives a shrug, commenting, "Others do not agree with my life choices, I would hate for my friends to fall into the wrong hands." With a pause, he offers a hand to Dan, extended with his palm facing up to the sky. "You are my friend now Dan. I promise no one will hurt you."

Unsure what is the appropriate response; Dan places his hand on top of Phil's, reaching up to close the space between them. With a grin, Phil seizes it, heading off into the forest with long paces, dragging Dan along behind.


	4. Chapter 4

They don’t go back to where the other aliens were, but Dan had not expected them to. From what Phil has said so far, his tribe do not seem to share many of his values. Circling around the central gathering of trees, Phil leads him with long steps to a small hut, not dissimilar to Phil’s one, only letting go of Dan’s hand once they are meters from the structure. This one however is decorated with red symbols on every flat surface - depicting various unfamiliar animals and a combination of stars and leaves. Some of it looks very similar to the tattoos across Phil’s back, and his eyes dart between the muscles undulating as Phil strides forwards and the carvings and pictures.

“This is where we will find Dusana. She is my best friend apart from you, and also the local healer.” Phil turns to face Dan. “She’s the only one who knows about my… choices, and she has kept it a secret for a very long time. So I know she will not tell anyone that you have come from another planet or let any of the others eat you.”

“I never told you I was from another planet.” Dan frowns, confused, but Phil just laughs.

“Well, you are not from my tribe, so what else would you be? There are many homes shining in the sky, one of them is yours, yes?” It’s a simplistic way to consider the universe, but considering how long it took humans to work out that earth was not the centre of the universe, Dan is impressed.

“Well, I could just be from another part of this planet?” Dan suggests.

“Nonsense, I know this entire forest, I’d have seen you before.” Phil replies determinedly, before turning to walk towards the house. Dan follows him with a bemused snort - perhaps not so impressed then.

The inside of the hut is a jumble of berries and nuts, leaves and dirt and all kinds of other things, stacked in piles haphazardly around the room. Dan is certain that he’s going to knock over something and tries to step carefully towards the fireplace, where an elderly figure with long, grey hair is crushing something with a large stone.

“Dusana!” Phil greets her warmly, and bends over so that their foreheads can touch briefly as she pauses her motions for a moment. As Dan gets closer he can now see that the small objects she is crushing are beetles, some of them still squirming around.

“How are your berry bushes?” She asks in a croaky voice. “Have you found a way to stop them from being eaten?” Phil shakes his head sadly.

“I cannot guard them all the time, and the animals come at night when it’s harder to see. But I will think of something!” She smiles up at him, and Dan sees her face properly for the first time- it’s a mess of wrinkles and dark skin, with deep, empty sockets where her eyes should be. He says nothing, but almost as if she can detect his instinctive discomfort, she turns in the direction of Dan and speaks again.

“And who is this?” She sniffs the air, and then frowns. “Did you manage to train one of your pets to leave the house safely?”

“This is my new friend,” Explains Phil, “But he has some problems with spirits, like from the old days. Do you think you could help him?”

Dusana cackles. “Spirits again? There’s no getting rid of them entirely then.” She stands up, making her way slowly over to Dan and grabbing his arm with cracked but fiercely strong fingers. Even if she looks decrepit beside Phil, she is almost the same size as Dan standing up, and he waits patiently as she presses against his veins, not sure if he should say anything. Phil is smiling enthusiastically, so hopefully she isn’t going to do something unpleasant.

“I see.” She finally croaks, “I can help him, but you’ll have to give me a hand Phil.” Turning away from Dan, Phil gathers the ingredients as Dusana described them, arranging them next to her beside the fire. Phil follows her directions, mixing together a couple of different fluids, while she whittles down a small twig with a carved, bone knife. They are working together in silence, when suddenly Dan pipes up.

“You could always try putting nets over the berries, like a big leaf with holes in it for air and water, but holes small enough that animals could not get through.” Dusana ignores him, not understanding his words, but Phil’s head shoots up.

“That’s a brilliant idea! How come I’ve never thought of that!” His smile is monumental. “As soon as we have fixed your spirits, lets go do that Dan.”

“So you are able to speak with your new friend?” Dusana doesn’t bother with how, or why. “Good. It will make it easier to keep him still.” She stands up, hobbling over to where Dan is standing. She grabs his arm and leads him to a makeshift bed.

“Tell him to breathe in deeply.” Phil repeats the phrase as she holds up a handful of bright orange leaves in front of his face. Dan doesn’t bother mentioning that the earpieces allow him to understand both of them, and obeys. The scent is strong and spicy, and instantly overwhelming. Before he can shout out, his core shakes as the muscles give way to spasms. He wants to tell them to stop, to get his medication from his bag, but he can’t quite get control of his voice and instead collapses onto the bed, limbs shaking uncontrollably.

“Now!” At Dusana’s cue, Phil passes her the liquid concoction. It’s hard for Dan to make out what’s happening, but she grabs one arm, holding it steady above his head, before puncturing it with a sharp jab.

He screams out, and through the tears forming at the pain, he can see Phil’s face contort at the sound, but Dusana keeps working, feeding the mixture through the hollowed stick into Dan’s arm, while chanting something that his translator can’t quite work out. There’s a shooting pain down his arm, like fire burning him from bone through to skin. As it spreads across the rest of his body, Dan’s understanding dissolves into screams and convulsions, all coherent thought fading away.

When he finally comes to, eyes slowly peeling awake, Phil is standing by his side diligently. It takes a moment for the room to come into focus, Dusana back to her position by the fire, his back pack lying open beside her as she turns over something in her hands.

“You are awake!” Phil crouches down, grabbing Dan’s hand. “Are you better now?”

Dan doesn’t quite know how to respond. He sits up slowly, Phil helping him stabilise. There’s a crude bandage on his arm and he feels a little woozy, but there’s no tremors, no shakes or anything.

“What happened?” He asks, voice unusually quiet, and Phil repeats the question in his language.

“I took away the spirits,” Dusana replies nonchalantly, “They won’t bother you again.”

“I told you she could do it!” Phil says happily, “Now you don’t have to be scared and we can fix the berries.” He helps Dan to his feet and across the room to Dusana, who is examining the pills in their container.

“Was this for the spirits?” She asks him. Dan nods, and she just laughs, throwing them into the fire.

“No!” He’s too late, the container is already splintered in the heat and the pills dissolve quickly after.

“You won’t need them anymore.” Dusana takes his hand, holding it tight for a moment before letting go again. “You’re going to be all fine, I promise.”

Dan runs his fingers along his hand, feeling more reassured by her words than years of medical professionals from back home. “Thank you.” He murmurs, and she seems to understand his meaning, nodding curtly in his direction before turning back to her work.

“Well then! Let me take you to the bushes, so you can show me your nets before you return home. I’d hate to detain you much longer.” Phil passes Dan his backpack. “Dan, are you okay?”

Dan isn’t quite sure how to explain his confusion. He had left for this trip with the sole intention of discovery and exploration of a very limited nature. A return journey was never part of the plan. If he was going to trust Dusana and her spells (and he kind of had to, now that his pills were gone), he wasn’t going to die anymore, not soon at least.

“I- I might not be returning home.” He replies, turning his face up to meet Phil’s towering over him. “There’s so much to see here, now that I don’t have, erm- spirits, anymore, I think I’m going to find out what else is here, in the forest and beyond.”

“But what about your tribe, at your home! Aren’t they waiting for you?” Phil asks.

Dan shakes his head, “I had already said goodbye, I wasn’t even sure I could make it all the way to this planet, but thanks to you I can do much more! But first, let’s fix your berries. It’s the very least I can do for you.”

They bid Dusana farewell and walk out into the forest again, Phil leading them away from the tribe again, towards the area where he has been cultivating several plants. Dan can almost feel the change surging through his body, whether it’s undiscovered herb lore or perhaps some kind of magic, Dusana has certainly altered something. Each step is more confident and assured than it was before, and he can’t stop smiling. He’s going to be okay.

Phil, for his part, is delighted by Dan’s changed mood. He listens attentively as Dan shows him how to tie together the long vines to make a net, and they work together diligently to make a section big enough to cover his bush. They anchor it to the branches above, burying the ends into the earth so no animals can sneak underneath, and stand back to admire their handiwork.

“This is incredible! Thank you so much Dan.” Phil claps him on the back, unintentionally almost knocking him to the ground.”

Dan chuckles, steadying himself. “Thank you! Seriously, I don’t know why you’re helping me, but you’ve literally turned my life around and I can’t wait to see what’s out there.”

“Because you’re my friend.” Replies Phil, “I hope you have many wonderful adventures! I wish I could join you!”

Dan pauses, his finger fidgeting with the strap of his backpack.

“Well, why not? Why can’t you come with me?” He is almost considering the idea out loud as he says it. Dan can see no real reason for Phil to stay with people who don’t accept him; he never did. That said, Dan has no idea what community means to Phil, or how important his tribe is to his stability and happiness. He shouldn’t have worried.

“Do you mean it?” Phil’s face lights up with glee. “Could I really come and travel with you?” His eyes are shining and Dan can’t help but giggle a little at the way his arms flail in excitement.

“Of course! I mean, we’d do much better in a pair, you’re definitely stronger than me and you know the land-”

“And you have the food-science and the tools!” Phil claps his hands together, clearly satisfied with this outcome.

“Fantastic! Let’s go!” He grabs Dan’s hand, but has dragged him no more than a few steps before he suddenly stops, a terrified look on his face.

“What about my pets? Who will look after them?” He looks so distraught that Dan feels bad for even suggesting that they leave together, but then his expression shifts, and he laughs.

“Dusana- she said she’ll look after them.” Dan understands, and smiles back at him.

“She’s smarter than us both put together, I think.” Nodding in agreement, Phil drags Dan back to his hut nonetheless, gathering a small collection of berries, beads and a few other tools. As he goes, he pats and nuzzles each pet, until he has finally completed a circuit of the room and meets Dan back at the door.

“Ready?” He asks, reaching for the door, but Dan stops him.

He points up to the lizard like creature, its legs firmly clutching onto the junction of Phil’s neck and shoulder, head curled up against his skin. Phil smiles, “Misona is coming with us,” He declares.

Dan follows him out into the clearing, chuckling at how the day has turned out. He has one - well two - new travelling companions, a whole new chance for discovery, and it’s not yet time for dinner. Even if no one back home will ever hear of his adventures, this is more than he could have hoped for.

“Which way?” Asks Phil, looking to Dan for guidance for some reason, despite his being the authority on this land. Dan cracks a smile, an idea forming in his mind.

“Trust me?” He asks, and Phil nods. “Close your eyes then.” It takes all his strength to spin Phil around, grabbing his broad shoulders, and turning him on the spot until they are both dizzy and stumbling a little. Phil finally comes to a halt, facing into the forest, and opens his eyes.

“Tell me, is that the way back to your tribe?” Dan asks, and Phil smiles, blue eyes shining.

“No, it is not.”

“Perfect.” Dan hitches his back up higher on his back and Phil tucks his knife into the side of his belt, holding his hand out, which Dan gladly accepts.

“Here we go!” Whispers Phil, almost to himself and Dan only clutches his hand more firmly, this time being the one to take the first step. They disappear into the trees, side by side, the rest of the world ahead of them.

                                                       

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is dedicated to the most wonderful beta I could have hoped for, Iona, and the goddess of an artist Sam, who transformed this work from a random, unformed concept to a complete work. Thank you so much for your work guys and I hope everyone enjoyed reading the story!
> 
> (If you’re like me and like music with your fic, may I recommend ‘Explorers’ by Muse, ‘I Know Places’ by Taylor Swift and ‘Pressure Suit’ by Aqualung :D)
> 
> ~ the adventures has only just begun, more to follow soon ~


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